Wednesday of the 1st week of Lent, 21st February

“My God is the rock where I take refuge; my shield, my mighty help, my stronghold.”

Psalm 17

Throughout Lent, we introduce you to a number of refugees JRS accompanies. We invite you to walk alongside them as they journey towards peaceful refuge.

Koffi’s Story

Koffi was first hosted within a parish community in Dulwich. “The place was very good for recovering, quiet space, your own room.” Koffi was able to spend four months in Dulwich, allowing him to recover from his recent surgery with the care and support of the parishioners, who would often check in on him to make sure he was OK.

In a process which is so complex and often feels endless, Koffi was able to find the welcome and stability in his hosts that had been absent from his experience of the immigration system.

“When my time at Dulwich ran out, it was really sad to leave. What Fr. Gerry did for me was more than hosting. It was all of humanity; what you expect from everywhere when you have been troubled.”

Join us tomorrow where we will rejoin Koffi on his journey

#Do1Thing

Our At Home scheme works with a number of our refugee friends who find themselves without stable accommodation and have often spent nights street homeless. Unfortunately, we are only able to help a small number of our friends who have difficulties with accommodation. In a recent report carried out by JRS UK we found that 63% of the refugees surveyed had spent time sleeping on the streets in the last year, with 1 in 5 spending over a month sleeping rough.

We invite you to learn more about the realities of homelessness and the precarious living situations for many destitute refugees. Our report is just one of many that shows the lack of safe accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers.